<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div>About 5K for a"straight" player, twice that for a reproducer. (Just the player system, but done with all the valves, pouches and gaskets --- not just the bellows and tubing.) Prices vary, of course, depending on whether it's just <br />a solid "functional" job, or includes the cosmetic niceties: refinishing of the player components, nickel plating of hardware, and etc.. And, yes, the market is "dead" due to the factors you cite ( and the fact that few techs really want to spend their lives with a bubbling pot of hide glue under their noses all day, every day). Just about the only people, these days, who get a regular foot-pumper restored are those with lots of cash to spend, who inherited it, so it has "sentimental" value. (And a lot of poorly worked on players are being sold as "fully restored" for cheap on Craigslist, these days, too --- so it's
hard to convince anyone that the "gem" you worked 400-500 hours on is worth the requisite --- if you like to eat--- price tag.)<br /><br />Thumpe</div></td></tr></table> <div id="_origMsg_">
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Duaine Hechler <dahechler@att.net>; <br>
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<pianotech@ptg.org>; <br>
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Re: [pianotech] Rebuilding old players <br>
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Thu, Jan 3, 2013 6:33:37 PM <br>
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<td valign="top" style="font:inherit;">On 01/03/2013 10:14 AM, Dale Erwin wrote:<BR>> By the way what does it cost to make an old player functional again. Disregarding the piano part of course. I used to know but I have almost zero inquiries about this any more. I have a good friend that has done it locally for approx 45 years but he says the market is dead. I assume its not only the economy but the fact that the Piano -disc, QRS, Live performance machines are more user friendly and the music library is massive.<BR>> Dale<BR>> <BR>> *Dale Erwin R.P.T.<BR>> Erwin's Piano Restoration Inc.<BR>> **<BR>> *<BR>> <BR>> On 1/2/2013 11:36 PM, Joe DeFazio wrote:<BR>> <BR>> > Joe, let me guess: after the customer tells yo*_u"it only has a few<BR>> > leaks," you give them the price for the total player rebuild._* Is that it?<BR>> <BR>> That's
very likely what it needs.<BR>> Ron N<BR>So far, I am booked up to 2015. (I say, so far, because who knows about the economy and/or people changing their minds)<BR><BR>I had one back out from last year that - was - scheduled for this year. Unfortunately, the couple - never - officially - canceled. That was a seek-and-find player action with rebuild as well as major piano rebuild - new hammers, dampers, strings and pins - around $15,000 + they were going to have to get the cabinet refinished.<BR><BR>Duaine<BR><BR>-- Duaine Hechler<BR>Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ - Tuning, Servicing & Rebuilding<BR>(314) 838-5587 / <a ymailto="mailto:dahechler@att.net" href="javascript:return">dahechler@att.net</a> / www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com<BR>Home & Business user of Linux - 12 years<BR><BR></td>
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